This Bière de Garde represents a relatively rare “blonde” variant of the style—we’re accustomed to our BdG’s favoring amber coloration, so we were pleased when we came across this unusual version, as blonde BdG’s are pretty tough to come by. Use caution when popping the cork—we’ve got a live one here! Make sure the beer has had time to settle in the fridge for at least a day or two after shipping. Even after settling, expect a pop from the cork. ...

Broederlijke Liefde (“Brotherly Love” – a clever nod to Philly Beer Week) was designed by Brian & Dirk as a strong saison with quite full attenuation. The goal was to create a dry and delicately spicy beer with the addition of brettanomyces for even further complexity and a good dose of funk. Brewed to an original gravity of 1066 (16.5p), it’s hopped to 37 IBU’s with Target and Styrian Golding hops. On the pour, Broederlijke Liefde offers a deep ...

Stawski is certainly one of the best looking pale lagers we’ve seen in a while, pouring a crystal-clear, bright, pure golden color with a robust and fluffy white head that descends to a persistent collar. On the nose, the sweet smell of plenty of pale malt comes forth, overlaid with noble hop aromas lending floral, grassy, and very lightly citric notes, with a hint of straw. It opens on the palate with crackery pale malts, but a grassy hop note i...

Gösser Dark pours a deep mahogany color with a moderate khaki head that leaves some lacing as you empty your glass. As soon as you pour, you’ll notice the rich aromas coming forth. Lean in, take a sniff and notice the big malty notes. All sorts of bready aromas are apparent, leaning towards brown bread and toasted bread crust. There’s a chocolate note and some cake-like sweetness as well, lending an impression of brownies. Despite what the aroma...

Lake Placid’s Hefeweizen is our second featured wheat beer this month, but this is not an American-style wheat ale; instead, the brewers decided to craft a traditional Bavarian-style brew – including the use of an authentic German weissbier yeast strain. Expect a hazy, golden-orange color on the pour, with good carbonation leading to a very ample head (as is characteristic for the style). On the nose, the traditional German hefeweizen notes are a...

This English-style Strong Ale was a Gold Medal winner at the World Beer Championships, and it’s easy to see why. On the pour, expect a rich, dark, brownish-red color with a moderate tan head that leaves nice lacing as you drink it down. Quite aromatic on the nose, you can tell it’s a malt-driven brew right away with deep, toasty, bready aromas with a nutty and lightly woody undertone. On the palate, a big, rich malt profile offers up notes of bre...

This limited edition seasonal pours a very hazy golden color, with a moderate off-white head. On the nose, look for a lightly sweet, honey-like impression overlaid by somewhat spicy and lightly floral noble hop aromas that intensify with warmth. It’s in the mouth, however, that this brew shines the most. We found the malt to be the star of the show, providing a medium level of sweetness, delightful honey-like flavors, and superb smoothness amid a...

This American-style Wheat Ale comes loaded with a fair amount of yeast sediment. You can pour carefully to leave it behind, or just swirl it up and pour it in your glass, embracing the fact that this is an unfiltered yeasty brew. The pour offers a light golden-straw color, with some white froth and a dense haze from the yeast in suspension. On the nose, look for a fruity hint, leaning towards lemon, accompanied by a variety of other subtle aromas...